Bio
Kal Penn is an American actor and producer best known for his starring roles in the feature films National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), The Namesake (2007) and Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (2008).
Penn is an accomplished actor and producer. His notable feature credits include Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its follow-up Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, The Namesake, based on the novel by Pulitzer-winner Jhumpa Lahiri, Van Wilder and its sequel The Rise of Taj, A Lot Like Love and Superman Returns.
Known for his role as young Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the critically acclaimed television series House, Penn also had a recurring role on season six of 24 and guest starred on the hit series Law & Order: SVU.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Penn graduated from the Freehold Regional High School District's Performing Arts High School, attended the Governor's School for the Arts, and received a degree from the prestigious School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA.
Penn had a two-year sabbatical during which he served as an Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. During his time there, he served a variety of roles, including that of President Obama's Liaison to the Arts communities, Young Americans, and Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders.
He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Cinema, Sociology and Asian American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and is pursueda Graduate Certificate in International Security at Stanford University.
In 2013 he hosted the Discovery Channel reality competition The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius.